Much More Than That
by Chanella Thomas
Summary: Ryan doubts himself, and Troy of all people helps him see things clearly.


Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical or anything associated with it. I'm just a high school student who owns nothing.

A quiet night a home; his parents were out for their anniversary, and his sister was out with her new found friend, Gabriella. Sharpay didn't need him to go shopping with her anymore. She didn't need him following her around at school, or the mall, or at home now that she had other friends.

Ryan laid his head back on his bed, and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't good enough to mix in with the other cliques in the school. He was Ryan Evans, the closeted gay drama boy. Who wanted to hang out with him? Troy Bolton certainly wouldn't, and Ryan knew it. He wasn't cool enough to hang around with him. Yet Ryan found himself dialing Troy's cell phone number into his phone anyway.

"Hey Troy, it's Ryan. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out…"

Five minutes later, Ryan was standing in front of his closet. He wasn't trying to impress Troy, he'd convinced himself of that. No, he just wanted to slip into something more comfortable.

"Oh God, now I sound like I'm trying to seduce him." Ryan said to himself. Finally, he decided on a pair of blue jeans and a green button up shirt, which he left untucked. The doorbell rang suddenly, and Ryan bolted down the stairs.

"Hey Troy" Ryan said as he opened the door and let the other boy in. The boys walked into the living room, and Ryan indicated to the DVD shelves.

"Take your pick while I go get the snacks." He said, and a few minutes later, he returned to the living room, his arms full of soda pop cans, popcorn, and other junk food. Troy had already picked the movie and loaded it into the DVD player.

"The Producers" Troy said simply, and cracked open a cool can of Mountain Dew as they settled in to watch. Ryan soon forgot about being nervous around Troy, as he was absorbed into the movie. When the credits began to roll, Troy yawned and stretched.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked suddenly, and Ryan nodded. "Why do you act like you hate me at school? I mean, you don't say anything to me unless I talk to you first. Even then you say the fewest words possible. But then you randomly call me up and ask me to hang out and watch movies with you. What's the deal?"

Ryan stared at the carpet as he gathered his thoughts.

"I'll never be sporty enough, or good looking enough, or popular enough to be accepted by your group. I don't know how to act around you or any of them. I called you tonight because it's only the two of us. No one has to see me trying to fit in with the most popular guy in school." Ryan paused for a moment then continued talking.

"I'm just Ryan Evans, the dorky drama boy with the stupid hats. That's all I'll ever be."

Troy shook his head. "You're so much more than that, Ryan. You're an amazing dancer, and you have a great voice. The guys just don't know how to handle you, because they know they'd never have the guts to go on stage and do what you do. Ryan, you have the guts to be who you want to be and not listen to what anybody else says. None of the guys have that. Zeke hid his cooking from us for years, but you just put yourself out there for everybody to see. You don't hide anything." Troy looked Ryan hard in the eyes.

"You are so much better than them; so much better than me. I tried to hide my singing from them. I should be afraid to hang out with you, not the other way around. Ryan, you are amazing. Don't ever tell yourself that you're not."

Ryan smiled a little bit, and Troy suddenly had an idea.

"Tomorrow we're all getting together to go to the movies. You should come."

Ryan shrugged. "Maybe. I'll see what Sharpay is doing and call you."

"Forget Sharpay, Ryan! She's out having fun without you tonight. You're allowed to have fun without her too. Forget her, and come hang out with the guys and me tomorrow. I'm not going to let you say no." Troy said, and Ryan nodded.

"Okay, I'll go." He replied, and Troy clapped him on the shoulder. They talked for a bit longer, before Troy stood to leave.

"Hey Troy, thanks for everything. You don't know how much I needed to hear that. Thanks." Ryan said, and Troy shrugged.

"That's what friends do. They help each other when they need it" he said, and he left, promising to pick Ryan up for the movies the next day.

Ryan shut the door and smiled. He wasn't just the dorky drama boy. He was so much more than that, and now he had friends to remind him of that.

A/N: Okay, so it's really cheesy. That's what I get for writing at one A.M. But please review and tell me what you think.


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